Bruce Springsteen Ignites Minneapolis With Most Political Show in Decades

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have officially traded nostalgia for a clarion call. Opening the Land of Hope & Dreams tour at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the “Boss” delivered a blistering, high-stakes performance that felt less like a rock concert and more like a frontline rally for the American soul. With a setlist curated for maximum social impact and a guest appearance by Tom Morello, Springsteen didn’t just play the hits—εξαπέλυσε ένα μανιφέστο.

A Battle Cry in the Twin Cities

The choice of Minneapolis as the tour’s starting gun was no accident. In a city that has become a global symbol for the struggle for civil rights, Springsteen opened the night with a hauntingly urgent cover of Edwin Starr’s “War.” It set a heavy, intentional tone that transitioned immediately into the blue-collar roar of “Born in the U.S.A.” This wasn’t the celebratory Springsteen of years past. The presence of Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello added a jagged, modern edge to the E Street sound, particularly during a searing rendition of “American Skin (41 Shots)” and the folk-metal fire of “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Springsteen used the microphone to address the crowd directly, condemning what he called a “corrupt White House” and a “predatory” global stance, urging fans to fight for an America defined by decency rather than division.

“It Is Happening Now”

The heart of the evening was a mid-set speech that silenced the arena. Springsteen listed a litany of concerns—from the deportation of immigrants to the erosion of NATO and the “whitewashing” of American history in museums.

“We are no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave,” Springsteen told the crowd. “To many, we are now the reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue state. This tragedy can only be stopped by the American people.”

Musically, the night balanced this heavy rhetoric with sheer E Street power. The debut of “Streets of Minneapolis” offered a local touchstone, while the encore’s emotional peak came with a rare performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Morello’s guitar work on the solo transformed the anthem into a weeping, psychedelic tribute to the Minneapolis icon.

Springsteen’s message was clear: silence is no longer an option. By closing with Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom,” he left the audience with a directive inspired by the late John Lewis: “Get in good trouble. Say something! Do something! Sing something!“

Setlist:

War
Born in the U.S.A.
Death to My Hometown
No Surrender
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Streets of Minneapolis
The Promised Land
Out in the Street
Hungry Heart
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
American Skin (41 Shots)
Long Walk Home
House of a Thousand Guitars
My City of Ruins
Because the Night
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Badlands
Land of Hope and Dreams
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Purple Rain
Chimes of Freedom